Shameless Posted 3 hours ago Author Report Posted 3 hours ago December 17, 1903. A cold, windy morning on the sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright drag their strange looking machine onto a wooden rail, steady it against the gusts, and do something most people still thought was impossible. Orville lies on the wing, the engine bites, and the Wright Flyer lifts off the ground. For 12 seconds, it stays airborne. It does not sound like much, until you realize it is the first successful powered flight. They do not stop at one try. The brothers make four flights that morning, taking turns. The first covers about 120 feet. The best one is Wilbur’s, about 852 feet in 59 seconds. After the fourth flight, a gust flips the Flyer and damages it, but the point has already been proven. A heavier than air machine can take off under its own power, stay controlled, and land. Aviation has officially begun. In the United States, December 17 is also officially recognized as Wright Brothers Day. It is written into U.S. law, and it traces back to a proclamation issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1959, with later actions by Congress making the designation permanent. It is a yearly reminder of the moment two brothers turned an idea into history. 1 Quote
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